Storybooks to Share with Children

Adoff, Arnold and Lisa Desimini illus. Love Letters. Scholastic, 1997. A uniquely-illustrated collection of love poems -- in the distinct voice of a sibling, schoolmate, student, playmate, secret admirer, and even the self -- that shows love comes in all shapes and sizes.

Ajmera, Maya and John D. Ivanko. Come Out and Play. Charlesbridge, 2001. Colorful, vibrant photos show children in more than 35 countries and what they do for play.

Alborough, Jez. Hug. Candlewick, 2000. A clever book -- which focuses on the single word "hug" -- that follows Bobo the chimp as he sees other animals hugging and finally gets the best hug of all from his mother.

Aliki. Communication. Greenwillow, 1993. A book that explores the many forms and aspects of human communication. A great starting point for intergenerational communication.

Aliki. The Two of Them. Greenwillow, 1979. The story of a grandfather's relationship with his granddaughter, from her birth to his death.

Anholt, Laurence. Leonardo and the Flying Boy. Barron's, 2000. A wonderful book about the mentor relationship between Leonardo da Vinci and one of his real-life apprentices Zoro.

Anholt, Laurence and Dan Williams illus. The Magpie Song. Houghton Mifflin, 1996. Carla, who lives with her family in the city, shares a close relationship -- and a secret -- with her grandad in the country through the letters they write each other.

Atwell, Debby. Pearl. Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Beginning with the time her grandfather was scooped out of a crowd to ride alongside George Washington in his Inauguration Day parade, 98-year-old Pearl tells the fascinating story of her life, which intersects with many significant historical events and people.

Baker, Liza and David McPhail illus. I Love You Because You're You. Scholastic, 2001. A charming story about a mama fox's unconditional love for her cub.

Barth, Edna and Ursula Arndt illus. Hearts, Cupids, and Red Roses: The Story of the Valentine Symbols. Clarion, 2001. An engaging book filled with well-researched information sprinkled with black-and-white drawings.

Bateson-Hill, Margaret and Christine Fowler et al (illus). Shota and the Star Quilt. Zero to Ten Childrens Books, 2001. Through a bilingual text in both English and Lakota, the story follows a Lakota Sioux girl living in a contemporary American city who makes a star quilt and saves her apartment building from being torn down.

Best, Cari and Giselle Potter illus. Three Cheers for Catherine the Great! DK Publishing, 1999. Sara's Russian grandmother has requested that there be no presents at her birthday party, so Sara must think of a gift from her heart.

Blos, Joan W. and Stephen Gammell illus. Old Henry. Mulberry, 1990. The neighbors are upset with old Henry's odd ways and his beat-up old house (he prefers to read and paint), but when he moves away neither he nor his neighbors are happy.

Blos, Joan W. and Emily Arnold McCully illus. One Very Best Valentine's Day. Aladdin, 1998. When Barbara's treasured bracelet of little hearts breaks, she gives them as presents to her family on Valentine's Day.

Bond, Ruskin and Allan Eitzen illus. Cherry Tree. Boyds Mills Press, 1996. Rakhi lives in the Himalayan foothills of India. Her grandfather suggests that she plant a cherry tree and, as she tends it, it grows into a lovely tree just as she grows into a lovely young woman.

Bosak, Susan V. and Laurie McGaw illus. Something to Remember Me By: An Illustrated Story for Young and Old. The Communication Project, 1997. In this moving story of love, a grandmother and granddaughter share special times and gifts through the years as it becomes clear that one gift -- the legacy of love -- is the most precious of all. This book inspired the national Legacy Project. Visit www.legacyproject.org.

Bowen, Anne and Greg Shed illus. I Loved You Before You Were Born. Harpercollins, 2001. A sweet story about a grandmother eagerly awaiting the arrival of her grandchild; when the baby finally arrives, Grandma is ready with a special message.

Boynton, Sandra. Consider Love: Its Moods and Many Ways. Simon & Schuster, 2002. An array of animal characters shows how love comes in every shape and style.

Browne, Anthony. My Dad. Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2001. An affectionate story about a father who can do anything, from vanquishing bad guys to giving heartfelt hugs.

Bulla, Clyde Robert and Susan Estelle Kwas illus. The Story of Valentine's Day. HarperCollins, 1999. Relates the history and describes the customs of this holiday from its beginning in Roman times to the present.

Bunting, Eve and Diane de Groat illus. Sunshine Home. Clarion, 1994. As Timmie and his parents make their first visit to Gram in the nursing home, the complex feelings of all three generations are poignantly revealed.

Bunting, Eve and Donald Carrick illus. The Wednesday Surprise. Houghton Mifflin, 1990. A loving story about a granddaughter's successful efforts to teach her grandmother to read.

Capucilli, Alyssa Satin and Hiroe Nakata illus. What Kind of Kiss? Harperfestival, 2001. A little bear asks his parents, grandma, puppy, bird what kind of kiss they need during the day.

Carlson, Nancy. How About a Hug? Viking, 2001. A pig family demonstrates the value of a hug in various situations.

Carrick, Carol and Paddy Bouma illus. Valentine. Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Heather misses Mama whenever she goes to work, especially on Valentine's Day. But Heather and her grandmother end up spending the day in a special way, caring for a lamb they name Valentine.

Caseley, Judith. Dear Annie. Mulberry, 1994. Grandpa has been Annie's pen pal since the day she was born, and the written word has helped forge a special relationship between them.

Casey, Tina and Theresa Smythe illus. The Runaway Valentine. Albert Whitman, 2001. A boastful, fancy Valentine card falls off the rack to become mere litter. After a series of adventures, he ends up as part of a girl's handmade card to her grandmother.

Castle, Caroline. For Every Child. Penguin Putnam/Phyllis Fogelman Books, 2001. Based on the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, an evocative text about the rights children throughout the world should have.

Charlip, Remy. I Love You. Cartwheel, 1999. The familiar situation of a mother putting her child to bed with the usual endearments becomes, through loving wordplay, more and more outrageous and more and more serious.

Christian, Frank P., Wendy Gelsanliter and Marjorie Priceman illus. Dancin' in the Kitchen. Putnam, 1998. While making dinner at Grandma's, all three generations of a family share dancing and fun.

Clark, Emma Chichester. No More Kissing. Doubleday, 2002. There's plenty of kissing in this cheery monkey tale as Momo wonders why there's so much kissing around him.

Combs, Ann. How Old is Old? Price Stern Sloan, 1988. Alistair isn't sure how old "old" really is until his grandfather shows him, in charming rhyme, that everything is relative.

Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius. Viking, 1985. A beautiful, inspiring book about an older woman who, as a young girl, vows to see faraway places, live beside the sea, and do something to make the world more beautiful. She does all of these things, with the last one being most important of all.

Deedy, Carmen Agra and Debrah Santini illus. The Last Dance. Peachtree, 1995. From childhood through old age, Bessie and her husband Ninny express their lasting love for each other by dancing.

De Groat, Diane. Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink. William Morrow, 1996. Gilbert, a chipmunkish critter, writes not-so-nice valentines to two of his classmates, but there's always time for a change of heart on Valentine's Day.

Delton, Judy, Dorothy Tucker and Charles Robinson illus. My Grandma's in a Nursing Home. Albert Whitman, 1986. Jason hates his first visit to the nursing home, but as he visits more often he finds that he makes his grandmother and the other residents happy.

dePaola, Tomie. Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs. Puffin, 2000. A classic tale of a boy's love of and then loss of his great-grandmother and grandmother.

dePaola, Tomie. Now One Foot, Now the Other. Putnam, 1988. When his grandfather has a stroke, Bobby helps him relearn many of the things that he taught Bobby as a toddler.

Devlin, Wende and Harry Devlin illus. Cranberry Valentine. Aladdin, 1992. Another adventure with Maggie, Grandmother, and all the other Cranberryport friends as Mr. Whiskers receives his first valentine.

Dugan, Barbara and James Stevenson illus. Loop the Loop. Greenwillow, 1992. A heartwarming, humorous story about a friendship -- that starts with a yo-yo -- between Anne and feisty Mrs. Simpson, an increasingly forgetful neighbor in a wheelchair who ends up in a nursing home.

Dunbar, Joyce and Debi Gliori illus. Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep. Harcourt Brace, 1998. A little bunny gets some special reassurance, and a cuddle, from her brother as she falls asleep.

Fox, Mem and Leslie Staub illus. Whoever You Are. Voyager, 2001. Children around the world may be different, but they are also the same, and it is important to rejoice in both.

Fox, Mem and Julie Vivas illus. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. Viking Kestrel, 1984. A young boy learns what memory is and helps an old woman remember times from her life.

Franklin, Kristine L. and Terea Shaffer illus. The Old, Old Man and the Very Little Boy. Atheneum, 1992. In an African village, an ancient storyteller passes on wonderful tales to a little boy who, one day, will carry on the storytelling tradition.

Friedman, Ina R. and Allen Say illus. How My Parents Learned to Eat. Houghton Mifflin, 1987. A little girl tells the story of how her American sailor father meets her Japanese mother and how -- in secret -- they learn the other's way of eating and fall in love.

Gibbons, Gail. Valentine's Day. Holiday House, 1986. A simple picture book that has basic information on the history of Valentine's Day and the ways it is celebrated. Includes images of older adults, like a grandmother and grandfather sending a Valentine to their grandson.

Gray, Libba Moore and Jada Rowland illus. Miss Tizzy. Aladdin, 1998. All the neighborhood children love energetic, African-American Miss Tizzy and know just how to return her kindness when she becomes ill.

Gray, Libba Moore and Raul Colon illus. My Mama Had a Dancing Heart. Orchard, 1999. When a mother and daughter share a close, loving relationship, it carries forward to who the daughter becomes.

Greenfield, Eloise and Carole Byard illus. Grandmama's Joy. Paper Star, 1999. A portrait of the relationship between Rhondy and Grandmama that is an unfolding of love as the little girl tries to cheer up her grandmother.

Greenfield, Eloise and Floyd Cooper illus. Grandpa's Face. Paper Star, 1996. When African-American Tamika sees her beloved Grandpa practicing a mean face for a play, she learns that although his face may change, his love for her never will.

Griffith, Helen V. and James Stevenson illus. Grandaddy and Janetta Together: The Three Stories in One Book. Greenwillow, 2001. Three great picture books about a strong and loving connection between a "country" grandfather and his "city" granddaughter -- Grandaddy's Place (1987), Grandaddy and Janetta (1993) and Grandaddy's Stars (1995) -- are collected into one chapter book with the illustrations converted to black and white.

Halperin, Wendy Anderson. Love Is.... Simon & Schuster, 2001. Adapting the apostle Paul's definitions of love in I Corinthians 13, this book combines the words with an intricate mosaic of watercolor-and-pencil vignettes to create a memorable, thoughtful picture book. A wonderful job of relating the text to contemporary, everyday life in a universal way.

Hawxhurst, Joan C. and Jane K. Bynum illus. Bubbe & Gram. Dovetail Publishing, 1996. A child learns about Christianity and Judaism from her two very different grandmothers.

Henkes, Kevin and Marisabina Russo illus. Good-bye, Curtis. Greenwillow, 1995. Curtis is retiring from 42 years of delivering mail; on his last day we see the changes he's witnessed and the contributions he's made to the community.

Hest, Amy and Amy Schwartz illus. Nana's Birthday Party. William Morrow, 1993. Every year Nana throws herself a birthday party with very specific rules: "No jeans. No gum... No fighting and no whining... No presents, except the kind you make yourself." Maggie and her cousin Brette sleep over at their grandmother's and, while sharing some vivid birthday traditions, get a little competitive about making their gift.

Hickcox, Ruth and David Soman illus. Great-Grandmother's Treasure. Dial, 1998. Great-Grandmother puts all her treasured life experiences into her apron and carries them with her.

Hines, Anna Grossnickle. Grandma Gets Grumpy. Clarion, 1988. A realistic story about the special -- but not perfect! -- relationship between a grandmother and her five grandchildren.

Hurst, J. Willis and Stuart D. Hurst with Patricia Wynne illus. The Heart: The Kids' Question & Answer Book. McGraw-Hill, 1998. Written by a former president of the American Heart Association and his grandson, this is a fact-filled, fun book that includes charming, accurate illustrations. For "kids" 8 to 80!

Hurwitz, Hilda Abramson, Hope Wasburn and Mara H. Wasburn (ed). Dear Hope... Love Grandma. Alef, 1995. In this collection of authentic letters, Hope's grandmother reveals the richness of her life in the early 1900s, her participation in the Jewish community, and her life wisdom.

Igus, Toyomi and Daryl Wells illus. Two Mrs. Gibsons. Childrens Book Press, 2001. A young girl pays tribute to the two most important women in her life -- her Japanese mother and her African-American grandmother.

Johnson, Angela and David Soman illus. When I Am Old With You. Orchard, 1993. An affectionate tale of an African-American child who looks forward to getting old and doing the same things with his grandfather that he does now.

Johnston, Tony and Barry Root illus. Fishing Sunday. William Morrow, 1996. A young Japanese-American boy, originally embarrassed by the traditions of his Japanese grandfather on their Sunday morning fishing excursions, comes to understand his grandfather in a new way.

Jones, Joy and Terry Widener illus. Tambourine Moon. Simon & Schuster, 1999. A moonlit night and a tambourine link past and present for Noni and her Grandaddy as he tells her how he met her grandmother.

Keens-Douglas, Richardo and Frances Clancy illus. Grandpa's Visit. Annick Press, 1996. When Grandpa comes to visit from the Caribbean, Jeremy is too busy for much besides TV and video games, until Grandpa gives the whole family a simple gift.

Keller, Holly. Grandfather's Dream. Greenwillow, 1994. A small boy shares his grandfather's dream of helping the cranes, a symbol of good luck, return to their Vietnam village.

Kesselman, Wendy and Barbara Cooney illus. Emma. Picture Yearling, 1993. On Emma's 72nd birthday her four children, seven grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren give her a painting that prompts her to begin to paint and opens a whole new life for her.

Kindersley, Barnabas and Anabel. Children Just Like Me. DK Publishing, 1995. Published for UNICEF's 50th anniversary, share the lives, hopes, and dreams of children from around the world.

King, Jr., Dr. Martin Luther. I Have a Dream. Scholastic, 1997. A beautifully illustrated edition of Dr. King's famous, inspiring speech of peace and justice. It reminds young and old that the dream must be kept alive.

Koralek, Jenny and James Mayhew illus. The Boy and the Cloth of Dreams. Candlewick, 1996. A lyrical tale about a special quilt made by grandma that helps a boy overcome his fears.

Kortepeter, Paul F. and Susan Wheeler illus. Holly Pond Hill: The Hugs and Kisses Contest. Dutton, 2001. When Oliver and Emily Boxwood can't agree on which child their mother, Victoria Rose, loves the most, they decide to hold a contest.

Levinson, Riki and Diane Goode illus. Watch the Stars Come Out. Puffin, 1985. A little red-haired girl curls up by her grandmother to hear how, long ago, another little girl (her grandmother) crossed the Atlantic to come to America.

Lindbergh, Reeve and R. Isadora illus. Grandfather's Lovesong. Puffin, 1995. A poetic description of a grandfather's love for his grandson, using nature metaphors through the seasons.

Lorbiecki, Marybeth and K. Wendy Popp illus. Sister Anne's Hands. Dial, 1998. A powerful story about the difference a loving adult can make in a child's life, with a message about interracial tolerance and respect.

MacLachlan, Patricia and Mike Wimmer illus. All the Places to Love. HarperCollins, 1994. A young boy describes his favorite places on his grandparents' farm and their connection to his family legacy.

Marsden, John. Prayer for the Twenty-First Century. Star Bright Books, 1998. Brilliantly illustrated with paintings, photos, and collages, this compelling call from the heart contains a message of hope that is a legacy we would wish for all our loved ones.

Martin Jr., Bill, John Archambault and Ted Rand illus. Knots on a Counting Rope. Henry Holt, 1997. The story of a Native American grandfather and grandson sharing family stories that give the boy love, courage, and hope.

Marzollo, Jean and Suse MacDonald illus. I Love You: A Rebus Poem. Cartwheel, 2000. Illustrated with great whimsy and charm, this delightful book offers rhymes to read, pictures to decode, and a loving message to share.

Matze, Claire Sidhom and Bill Farnsworth illus. The Stars in My Geddoh's Sky. Albert Whitman, 1999. When Alex's grandfather visits from the Middle East they get to know each other and exchange cultural lessons.

McBratney, Sam and Anita Jeram illus. Guess How Much I Love You. Candlewick, 1995. Every time Little Nutbrown Hare shows Big Nutbrown Hare how much he loves him, Big Nutbrown Hare returns the love even more.

McFarlane, Sheryl and Ron Lightburn illus. Waiting for the Whales. Orca, 1991. An old man has only the whales in the nearby ocean to keep him company until his granddaughter gives him a renewed purpose in life.

Miles, Miska and Peter Parnall illus. Annie and the Old One. Little, Brown, 1971. Annie's Navajo world is good -- until she recognizes that her grandmother is going to die and must learn to accept the cycle of life.

Millard, Anne and Steve Noon illus. A Street Through Time. DK Publishing, 1998. Have you ever wondered what your street was like 100 years ago? This fascinating book traces the development of one street from the Stone Age through 14 time periods to the present day, including information about how people lived and what they did all day.

Mills, Claudia and Catherine Stock illus. Gus and Grandpa, Gus and Grandpa and the Christmas Cookies, Gus and Grandpa Ride the Train, Gus and Grandpa and the Two-Wheeled Bike, Gus and Grandpa at the Hospital, Gus and Grandpa and Show-and-Tell. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999-2001. A series of books about the close relationship between and adventures of Gus and his grandfather.

Mitchell, Margaree King and Larry Johnson illus. Granddaddy's Gift. Troll, 1998. Growing up on Granddaddy's farm in segregated Mississippi, a child learns about the value of education and the struggle for democracy.

Monk, Isabell and Janice Lee Porter illus. Hope. Carolrhoda Books, 1999. During a visit with her great-aunt, a young girl learns the story behind her name and to feel proud of her "mixed" heritage.

Mora, Pat and Cecily Lang illus. A Birthday Basket for Tia. Aladdin, 1997. To celebrate her great-aunt's 90th birthday, Mexican-American Cecilia gathers together a basket full of cherished memories.

Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux and Kimanne Uhler illus. Always Gramma. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1988. A young girl describes what it's like when Gramma becomes increasingly confused and forgetful, and how she helps her.

Newman, Lesléa and Karen Ritz illus. Remember That. Clarion, 1996. Though Bubbe ages, she still has important life lessons to teach.

Nomura, Takaaki. Grandpa's Town. Kane/Miller, 1995. With text in both Japanese and English, a little boy worries that his widowed grandfather is lonely -- until he goes with him to a public bath and realizes how many friends Grandpa has.

Nye, Naomi Shihab and Nancy Carpenter illus. Sitti's Secrets. Aladdin, 1997. Mona comes to love Sitti (grandmother in Arabic) when she visits the elder in a Palestinian village and, on her return home to America, writes a heartfelt plea for peace to the President.

Oberman, Sheldon and Ted Lewin illus. The Always Prayer Shawl. Boyds Mills Press, 1994. A prayer shawl is handed down from grandfather to grandson in a story of Jewish tradition and the passing of generations.

Orr, Katherine. My Grandpa and the Sea. First Avenue Editions, 1991. Grandpa teaches Lila many lessons as he must find another way to make a living when the big industry takes over the fishing trade on his Caribbean island.

Pellegrino, Marjorie White and John Lund illus. My Grandma's The Mayor. Magination, 2000. A story that portrays Annie's grandmother as a strong, confident woman and community leader, and shows how Annie learns to share her grandmother.

Polacco, Patricia. Mrs. Katz and Tush. Picture Yearling, 1994. An African-American boy becomes good friends with his neighbor, an elderly Jewish widow, when he gives her a kitten to adopt.

Polacco, Patricia. The Keeping Quilt. Simon & Schuster, 1998. A homemade quilt ties together the lives of four generations of a Jewish family.

Rattigan, Jama Kim and Lillian Hsu-Flanders illus. Dumpling Soup. Little, Brown, 1998. Marisa makes dumpling soup with all the other women in the family and gets some special encouragement from grandma.

Rochelle, Belinda, and Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu illus. Jewels. Lodestar, 1998. The "jewels" of the title are family stories of African-American history Lea Mae hears on her summer vacation with her great-grandparents.

Ross, Dave and Laura Rader illus. A Book of Hugs. HarperCollins, 1999. A nice book to snuggle up with (a snuggle is defined as "a longish hug"), it describes various kinds of hugs, including piggyback hugs, daddy hugs, birthday hugs, and ice-cube hugs ("quite common in February").

Ross, Dave and Laura Rader illus. A Book of Kisses. HarperCollins, 2000. A companion to A Book of Hugs, this book explores all the kinds of kisses -- "good morning" kisses, "going to school" kisses ("sometimes called the Kiss-and-Go"), "boo-boo" kisses, Great Aunt-Mary kisses ("watch out for the lipstick"), and more.

Roth, Susan L. Happy Birthday Mr. Kang. National Geographic, 2001. An affectionate tale about a Chinese-American grandfather and his grandson that explores themes of freedom, choice, and happiness.

Russo, Marisabina. A Visit to Oma. Greenwillow, 1991. Celeste's great-grandmother Oma doesn't speak English, but during their weekly visits together Celeste makes up stories to fit Oma's facial expressions as she speaks. A perceptive, imaginative glimpse into a loving relationship.

Ryan, Cheryl and Bill Farnsworth illus. Sally Arnold. Cobblehill Books, 1996. When Jenny visits Grandpa for the summer, she thinks Sally Arnold is a witch -- until she gets to know the elderly woman.

Rylant, Cynthia and Stephen Gammell illus. The Relatives Came. Aladdin, 1993. A lively description of a visit by a large family that celebrates family connections and affection.

Rylant, Cynthia and Diane Goode illus. When I Was Young in the Mountains. E.P. Dutton, 1982. A gentle story about a girl growing up in the Appalachian mountains with her grandparents.

Say, Allen. Stranger in the Mirror. Walter Lorraine, 1998. When Sam goes to bed he's a normal young boy, but when he wakes up he's an old man.

Schachner, Judith Byron. The Grannyman. Dutton, 1999. Simon is a very old cat who's just about ready to give up after a long and fulfilling life, until a new kitten enters the picture and an intergenerational bond develops.

Schimmel, Schim. The Family of Earth. Northword, 2001. Mother Earth gently explains the cycle of life to a gathering of her animal family, the family of Earth we are all a part of.

Schwartz, Harriet Berg and Thomas B. Allen illus. When Artie Was Little. Knopf, 1996. Artie is an old man who remembers what it was like when he was little and tells the neighborhood children stories about those times. Based on the life of the author's neighbor, the endpapers have photos of the real Artie.

Seuss, Dr. and Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher illus. My Many Colored Days. Alfred A. Knopf, 1996. A rhyming story that describes each day in terms of a particular color and emotion. Great for prompting an intergenerational discussion about emotions.

Shannon, George and David Soman illus. This Is the Bird. Houghton Mifflin, 1997. A cumulative tale about a wooden bird carved by a girl's maternal ancestor and lovingly passed down from mother to daughter through the generations.

Shaw, Eve. Grandmother's Alphabet. Scholastic, 2001. The message of this empowering alphabet book is simple: Grandma can be a zoologist, artist, banker, carpenter, doctor, engineer... and so can I.

Shelby, Anne and Wendy Anderson Halperin illus. Homeplace. Orchard, 2000. A grandmother tells her granddaughter about the family's history in the same house over a period of six generations, beginning with their ancestor who cleared the land and built a log cabin.

Shields, Carol Diggory and Hiroe Nakata illus. Lucky Pennies and Hot Chocolate. Dutton, 2000. A little boy and his grandfather share a special weekend doing things they both like to do. This story seems to be told by the child -- but on the last page we realize Grandpa has been the one telling it!

Simon, Seymour. The Heart: Our Circulatory System. Mulberry, 1999. A well-researched and effectively designed book that makes the human heart understandable. Includes computer-enhanced photos taken with an electron microscope.

Spier, Peter. People. Doubleday, 1980. There are differences among the billions of people on Earth, and these differences are what makes each person unique and the world an interesting place.

Sullivan, Silky and Bert Dodson illus. Grandpa Was a Cowboy. Orchard, 1996. Grandpa's tales of the past give his orphaned grandson a deep sense of his own heritage.

Thermes, Jennifer. When I Was Built. Holt, 2001. A talking farmhouse compares the present to the time it was built to give a sense of both history and home life.

Thomassie, Tynia and Jan Spivey Gilchrist illus. Mimi's Tutu. Scholastic, 1996. Longing for a special tutu for an upcoming recital, Mimi gets some help from her mother, aunts, and grandmother who make her a "lapa" skirt and teach her about part of her African-American heritage.

Torres, Leyla. Liliana's Grandmothers. Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1998. One of Liliana's grandmothers, Mima, lives in New England while the other, Mama Gabina, lives in tropical Colombia. Liliana loves them both and does different things with each.

Tusa, Tricia. Maebelle's Suitcase. Aladdin, 1991. One of the few books where the main character is a centenarian (108 years old to be exact!), Maebelle and her little bird friend enter a special hat in the annual town contest.

Vigna, Judith. Grandma Without Me. Albert Whitman, 1984. A young boy finds ways to keep in touch with grandma despite his parents' divorce.

Walker, Alice and Catherine Deeter illus. To Hell With Dying. Harcourt Brace, 1988. A rich, unique, and tender portrayal of the special relationship between old Mr. Sweet and the children down the road.

Walsh, Jill Paton and Stephen Lambert illus. When I Was Little Like You. Viking, 1997. Simple now-and-then comparisons as Rosie and Gran go for a stroll are ideal for inviting children to question their own elders.

Weiss, George David, Bob Thiele, and Ashley Bryan illus. What a Wonderful World. Sundance, 1994. Inspired by Louis Armstrong's wonderful old song, this book is a great way to share a timeless message that can bring young and old together.

Wells, Rosemary and Greg Shed illus. The Language of Doves. Dial, 1996. On her sixth birthday, Julietta receives a dove and a story from her Italian grandfather and comes to learn the "language of the doves" in a way that links the girl to her grandfather forever.

Wild, Margaret and Ron Brooks illus. Old Pig. Dial, 1996. Old Pig and Granddaughter have lived together for a long time, and they take one last, long walk together to savor the beauty of life and their love for each other.

Wild, Margaret and Julie Vivas illus. Our Granny. Houghton Mifflin, 1994. From the intimacy of one family to the rich diversity of all kinds of people, this exuberant book, told from the perspective of a small child, celebrates grandmothers.

Williams, Vera B. A Chair for My Mother. Greenwillow, 1984. After a fire destroys their home and possessions, Rosa, her mother, and her grandmother save their money to buy a big, comfortable chair they can all share.

Wilson, Janet. Imagine That! Stoddart Kids, 2000. On her hundredth birthday, Auntie Violet reminisces with her great-grandniece, and wonders at all the changes that have taken place over her lifetime.

Wilson, Nancy Hope and Marcy D. Ramsey illus. Old People, Frogs and Albert. Scott Foresman, 1999. Mr. Spear works as a volunteer at Albert's school, helping the fourth-grader improve his reading. When Mr. Spear has a stroke and moves into the neighborhood nursing home, Albert must conquer his fear of the home and its residents.

Wilson, Sarah and Melissa Sweet illus. Love and Kisses. Candlewick, 1999. A girl kisses her cat, who in turn kisses a cow, and so on until the kisses return to the happy child.

Wood, Douglas and Yoshi and Hibiki Miyazaki illus. Making the World. Simon & Schuster, 1998. The world isn't finished yet, and it is up to everyone, including you, to play their part -- because everything is interconnected.

Wyse, Lois, Molly Rose Goldman and Marie-Louise Gay illus. How to Take Your Grandmother to the Museum. Workman, 1998. Written by a real grandmother and her ten-year-old granddaughter, this is a story about their shared adventure in a museum.

Yolen, Jane and Floyd Cooper illus. Miz Berlin Walks. Puffin, 2000. At first, Mary Louise is afraid of old Miz Berlin, until one day she realizes all the wonderful stories the woman has to tell. A tender tale about an intergenerational, interracial friendship.

Young, Ed. Voices of the Heart. Scholastic, 1997. A stunning exploration of twenty-six Chinese characters, each describing a feeling or emotion, and each containing the symbol for the heart.

Zolotow, Charlotte and Martha Alexander illus. Big Sister and Little Sister. HarperTrophy, 1990. At first, big sister takes care of little sister, but soon they learn how much they need each other.

Zolotow, Charlotte and James Stevenson illus. I Know a Lady. Puffin, 1984. A simple story about how simple kindnesses -- like a wave on the way to school and cookies sprinkled with red and green dots -- can bridge the generation gap.

Zolotow, Charlotte and Ashley Wolff illus. Some Things Go Together. HarperFestival, 1999. Couplets throughout this book -- "peace with dove, home with love, and you with me" -- show that some things truly do go together, and are accompanied by loving portraits of adults and children.